Overview of the Designation
This timely designation gives
insights into how the personalities, attitudes and
preferences of home buyers, and the consuming public in
general, come to be defined by their generational
identification. Specific age groups have common life
experiences and influences that affect their needs and
wants, and the way they approach major life decisions. In
addition, each generation is affected differently by changes
in financing, retirement systems, estate planning, tax laws,
and housing design and location. And there is little doubt
that the current economic turmoil is having different
effects on each generation as they pass through their unique
stage of life.
 The GHS™ Designation course encompasses the past 100 years of real estate to fully understand the generational shifts that have occurred on a recurring basis and that offer an explanation of the effects of peer personalities on the current five different generations that make up the real estate market today. As part of the education required to earn the GHS™, the real estate professional will review the characteristics of each generation, their motivations, and the factors that enter into the purchase and sale of real property. These studies will take the student through today's challenging economic times and explore the trends that are taking us into the future.
Generations
in the Marketplace
Over the past two decades,
there has been considerable attention paid to the focused
real estate needs of senior citizens. Today we need to be
more inclusive in our understanding of the impact of
generational identification on other consumers in the
marketplace. People in each of the following generations is
faced with challenges that are unique to their station in
life:
-
Millennials - an emerging market buying
earlier than any generation that has gone before.
Its members include many foreign born.
-
Generation X - they are the most active buyers but housing choices have changed to accommodate more family time and lessen commutes.
-
Boomers -buyers in their highest earning years (but not all share the prosperity). Investments in real estate and the stock market have been depleted with the economic crisis.
-
Silents -the highest homeownership rates and with large equity. Tend to be conservative and stable although some are upgrading but down-sizing.
-
G.I. Generation - the original seniors, many
now lost to us.
Issues that Uniquely
affect Real Estate Decisions
In representing and
counseling clients, it is important to recognize how the
major financial issues listed below impact the purchase and
sale of real estate by generational groups.
-
Taxation - including tax law implications for
the taxation of capital gains in the sale, exchange
or inheritance of residential and investment
property
-
Asset planning - reviewing the importance of
the vesting of title and estate planning related to
real estate
-
Financing options - a close look at today's
varied options for forward mortgages, the
availability of reverse mortgage packages, and the
essential role of the secondary market
-
Retirement issues - pensions, investments,
and equity building, focusing especially on the role
of real estate in retirement planning
Generations in the Real
Estate Workplace
While agents need to understand
generational characteristics to truly "represent" the best
interests of the client and thereby become the "Agent of
Choice," brokers also need to understand generational
differences to effectively recruit, train and retain agents
and staff. Brokers also need to be aware of
possible generational tensions that can arise within an
office or within a transaction.
GHS™ Aspirations
A Generational Housing Specialist™ has
taken the initiative to expand his or her knowledge about
the specific needs and issues of each of these generations.
The goal of the GHS™ professional is to build a strong
relationship with each unique client and to establish a
successful relationship with other professionals who are a
part of the "team" working toward the highest and best
interests of the client. Become the Agent of Choice and
secure a Client for Life.
Become a GHS™
Earn the right to use the trademarked GHS™
logo and to identify yourself as a Designated Generational
Housing Specialist™.
Contact
admin@GHSDesignation.com for more information
|